How do you write a report regarding web site recommendations?

[Spritey]

Hey guys,

I'm currently involved in a project at school where me and a few other people are coming up with recommendations regarding changes that need to be made to a university PhD website for a specific program (which is part of the larger university web page) so it can better serve the needs of potential students.

We have interviewed all the professors and PhD students, plus a few potential ones, regarding what information they are looking for, would like to see there, ideas and suggestions etc. Plus we've used the current web site to see 'what not to do'...

We have to write a report on our findings, about 20 pages. But I'm not sure what will be a good way to structure a report like this . So I was wondering if anyone who might have been involved in something similar might have a suggestion as to how to write one (like outline/structure of it). .

Thanks! Any input appreciated!

 

[rendezvouscp]

What I would do is make a list of desired changes and categorize them (by user experience, design, accessibility, etc.) and use those as the main parts of the paper. For each part, cover the specific changes, then follow up with the reasons for those specific changes with quotes from your interviews and references to “best practices” resources online.

I would highly suggest making one main list (as in, bullet points) of the changes and attaching it as an appendix to the report so that someone could review all of the changes in one quick glance. You might even consider making this your table of contents so that the report is easier to navigate.

Good luck!

 

[angelwatt]

I've done similar reports. The key thing is determining your audience and their understanding of the technologies. Do they know how to spell HTML or know what JavaScript is? This'll help you determine what style of language to use in the report and determines at what level of detail to write at. It's also good to make comparisons between the current site and the changes you'll be making. Exemplify the benefits of the changes and if possible term it in cost savings. Maybe the new new site will lower bandwidth usage, which saves money. Think about what your audience will want to hear and be meaningful to them.

And remember, just because they're PhD doesn't mean they know the difference between style sheet and a script. I wrote papers for teachers that they simply couldn't keep up with so just gave me an A on it because they figured it had to be good if they couldn't understand it. Not that I'm saying you should try that approach. If you want them to take your suggestions into consideration for the site they will need to understand it, at least reasonably well.

 

[Spritey]

Thanx a bunch!

Definitely some very useful tips!